Filling in for George, Ian Punnett welcomed authors Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince, who discussed the Shroud of Turin, as well as mysteries concerning the life of Christ, for the full length of the program. In their groundbreaking book, Turin Shroud: In Whose Image?, from the mid-90s, they claimed the relic, that some venerate as Christ's burial cloth, was actually a medieval creation-- this was also the conclusion an Italian scientist recently arrived at after conducting tests (see article below). However, Picknett was critical of the scientist's work-- though he recreated a likeness of the shroud's image, he didn't replicate the unique characteristics found in the cloth, she said.

Prince and Picknett believe the Shroud was faked byLeonardo da Vinci, who used his own face as a model. Because the facial image has the properties of a photograph, they suggest he used a camera obscura, an early photographic device, to project his image onto the cloth. Further, da Vinci's painting of Salvatore Mundi bears a close resemblance to the face on the Shroud (see comparison images), which the authors find to be compelling evidence of his involvement.

In examining the historical life of Jesus through the gospels and other texts, the biggest mystery is the mix of Jewish and pagan elements that run through his teachings, said Prince. He may have been trying to resolve the contradictions between the monotheistic Tribe of Judah, and the Samaritans, ancient Israelites, who had certain views that differed, he continued. They also talked about the life of Simon Magus, a Samaritan who was a contemporary of Jesus-- Christians called him the "first heretic."

Moscow 'Halo' Cloud

Appearing briefly in the first half-hour, UFO expert Nick Pope commented on the glowing 'halo' cloud seen over Moscow. He suggested it may have been generated by a rare meteorological event, possibly involving atmospheric plasma.

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Shroud of Turin Recreation

An Italian professor of organic chemistry, Luigi Garlaschelli, says he reproduced the Shroud of Turin using materials and techniques available in the Middle Ages. This proves that the relic some believe is Christ's burial cloth is actually a medieval fake, he contends. In the photo, Garlaschelli's recreation (r) is pictured next to the original (l). LiveScience columnist Benjamin Radford comments on the new evidence.